Certainly an enquiry regarding an object such as khatam telephone that has decorative nd functional aspects and also concerns aesthetic judgment about this subject need some knowledge about the beautiful.
Making an aesthetic judgment regarding the beautiful is possible only through my experience, interest, taste and act.
There is certainly some doubt that I can definitely name something as a work of art. At least some part of this system to decorate with khatam has a history in Iranian traditional arts. But maybe it could not create one artistic work if it is synthetic. Because part of this work is applied part that it is mass-produced as a modern product in factories and it is for modernist period that decorate by traditional art. Perhaps of necessity compounding modern works with traditional art could not necessarily be ugly and worthless from the aesthetic viewpoint. But it is very important what the intention behind a modern work is.
Perhaps it is better to say that modern artworks combining modern and traditional artwork can unite artwork and beauty. But this is not completely correct in every case. Since generalizing a theory can never be very precise or true.
But telephone completely has a functional aspect and when it is an industrial product and is produced in modernist period, it is acceptable that its appearance matches its period. On the other hand, it is only acceptable if it is simple and far from of decoration.
Perhaps it is due to being an industrial outcome, a mass-produced product, low time, high orders, simplicity….
In my opinion, such a product decorated with khatam is not an acceptable thing. Perhaps because I have usually seen khatam on objects like penholder, tray, vase, table… and my presupposition about khatam is that it should be used only on such objects, therefore when I hear the name of khatam, I imagine these objetcs in my mind which are derived from my experience about art.
When a telephone is decorated with this art, I think what happens is that distraction or art rule is broken and I am surprised by looking at this work or consider it meaningless.
It is similar to my mobile being decorated by khatam. It is never interesting for me, because I have observed khatam just being used on a few kind of objects.
On the other hand, khatam is a very delicate work that is very onerous, therefore this art should have an honorable position.
When this valuable art is used for industrial means, the value and worth of this art will decrease, because it is used for industrial production.
I think we could not use every decorative art for decorating every thing and call it beautiful.
Perhaps the most important reason is that telephone is a manmade artificial thing and it could not be termed as art until decorated with khatam.
Maybe manufacturing technique causes a deep crack between the art of khatam and telephone.